Incubator.



No. 679,764. Patented Aug. 6, i901.

` J. L. MACY.

IRGUBATDB. (Appucmgn mea oef.. 16, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

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J. L. MACY.

INCUBATDR.

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NTTED STATES PATENT @Finca JETHRO L. MACY,`OF DES MOINES, IOWA.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 679,764, dated August6, 1901.

Application filed October 16, 1399. Serial No. 733,843. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, J ETHRo L. MACY, a citi- Zen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Des Moines, Polk county, Iowa, have inventedcertain 4new and useful Improvements in Incubators, of'which thefollowing is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide improved means for incubatingor hatching eggs and in which the heat and moisture supply andventilation will be under control and economically and properly appliedin the incubator-chamber.

My invention consists in the construction,

arrangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointedout in Amy claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure 1 is a plan of a complete machine. Fig. 2 is a verticaland longitudinal section centrally of the machine. Fig. 3 is anelevation of the thermostat detached from the machine. FigAE is a detailview of an adjusting-screw and portion of a thermostatrod detached fromthe machine. Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a door employed in themachine. Fig. 6 is a perspective of the hot-air chamber or tank detachedfrom the machine, a portion of the top plate thereof being broken awayto expose the heat-conducting pipe therein. Fig. 7 is a perspective ofthe moisture-tank detached from the machine. The design of themoisture-tank shown in Fig. 7 is described and shown in Letters Patentof the United States of America granted to me on the 30th day of May,1899, and. numbered 30,900. Fig. 8 is a perspective of the incubatoremploying one egg-tray'and one door only.

In the construction ofthe incubator, as shown, the numeral 10 designatesthe bottom, 11 the top, 12 13 the ends, and 14 the rear wall of thecasing, and said several parts are made double, if desired, and packedwith mineral wool or other non-conductor of heat. A hot-air tank 15, ofrectangular form and relatively shallow, is mounted in the upper portionof the casing immediately beneath the top 11 and iills the length andwidth thereof. An opening is formed in the tank 15 near one end thereof,and a flue 16 is vertically positioned and extends through said opening,the upper end of the flue extending through the top of the casing andthe body and lower portion thereof extending through the casing andbelow theA bottom thereof. The iiue is rigidly mounted by soldering orotherwise in the hot-air tank, and a pipe 17 is located in the tank andcommunicates at its initial end with the flue. The pipe 17 leadsforwardly from the iiue 16, is bent at right angles, extends lengthwiseof the front portion of the tank nearly to the left end thereof, and isagain bent at right angles and extends rearwardly beyond thelongitudinal center of the tank, at which point it terminates with anopen end. The pipe 17 is wholly Within the hot-air tank 15. A ventpipe18 is mounted vertically in an opening in the rear right corner of thehot-air tank 15 and rises therefrom through the top 11 of the casing.

A heating-lamp 2O is mounted on a bracket 21, depending from the bottom10 ofthe casing, and the chimney of said lamp enters and is spaced apartfrom the lower end of the Hue 16, the spacing apart being provided tosupply atmospheric air to the flue.

A moisture-pan 22 is formed of sheet metal and fixed by its side iiangesto the bottom plate of the hot-air tank 15. pan extends from the rightend of the hot-air tank nearly to the left end thereof and is of lesswidth than said tank. The sides and left end of the moisture-pan 22 areprovided with a plurality of perforations 23, through which moisture andvapor-laden air may escape from the pan to the egg-chamber 24 orinterior of the casing. The right end of the moisture-pan is imperforateand abuts the right end of the casing,and the said pan is covered by andhermetically sealed to the bottom plate of the hot-air tank. An openingis formed in the moisturepan 22 beneath and of larger diameter than theilue-opening of the hot-air tank, and a watertank 25 is mounted in anddepends from said opening through the casing. The water-tank 25 is ofannular form,and the outer shell thereof is attached to the moisture-panand sealed thereto. The inner shell of the annular Water-tank 25 is ofless height than the outer shell and is connected thereto by a bottomThe moisture- IOO ring 25a, in which bottom ring is mounted a drainage-faucet 26. 4A supply pipe 27 is mounted in the top of the casing anddepends within and-between the shells of the annular water-tank 25, anda removable and replaceable cap 28 is mounted on the upper `end of saidsupply-pipe. The water-tank i's supplied through the pipe 27 and drainedthrough the faucet 26, and the inner shell of the water-tank is made ofless height than the outer shellin order that any surplus of water inthe tank may tlow therefrom through the central opening and be preventedfrom flooding the eggchamber or interior of the casing. The outer shellof the water-tank 25 is fitted snugly to the bottom of the casing toavoid leakage of air into or from the vegg-chamber. The water-tank 25 ismounted outside and .concentric of the flue 16, and the water therein isheated and caused to throw off vapor by the radiation from the i'lue.The inner shell of the water-tank 25 is spaced apart from the flue 16 toprovide an entrance vfor air to the moisture-pan. The moisture-pan andwatertank conjunctively form a moisture-tank.

A partition 29. is mounted in andtransversely of the casing adjacent thewater-tank 25 and is spaced apart from both the top and bottom of thecasing. The space or opening between the lower edge of the partition 29and the upper surface of the bottom of the casing is protected by asheet 30 of wire-cloth mounted thereon and extending transversely of thecasing.

Cleats 3l 32 are mounted in and transversely of the casing approximatelymidway between the partition 29 and end 12,and cleats 33 34 are mountedon said end 12 and partition, respectively, and extend parallel with thecleats 3l 32. Egg-trays 35 36 are mounted on the cleats below andparallel with the moisture-pan 22 and are spaced apart. The egg-traysmay be slid from or into the casing on the cleats and lnay be of anydesired construction. A bracket 37 is fixed to the inner surface of therear wall 14 of the casing and extends between the egg-trays.

A thermostat is formed of an outer plate or bar of steel 38 and an innerbar of brass or aluminium 39, rigidly connected and bent in oval form,the ends of the thermostat overlapping and provided with slots toreceive a thermostat-rod 40, connected therewith by nuts 41 42. Thethermostat is mounted on the bracket approximately in the plane of theeggs in the egg-trays and is secured to said bracket by a bolt 43 andnut 44. The rod 40 extends vertically through a pipe 45, traversing themoisture-pan and hot-air tank, and projects slightly from the top of thecasing.

A damper-lever 46 is fulcrurned on angleirons 47 48, mounted on the topot' the casing,

and an adjusting-screw 49 is screwed in a nut 50 on said lever anddepends therethrough. The adjusting-screw 49 is tubular at its lower endand receives and rests on the upper end of the thermostat-rod 40. Theforward end portion of the lever 46 is goosenecked, and a damper 51 ismounted thereon immediately over the top of the flue 16. Theadjusting-screw 49 is located between the pivots of the lever and thedamper. Hence the lifting force of the thermostat is exerted to lift thedamper. The rear end of the lever 46 is formed into a loop or eye 46a,and a poise or counterbalancing weight 52 is mounted thereon andconiined thereby at a predetermined distance from the pivots of saidlever.

Air-vents 53 54 are formed in the end wall 12 of the casing and leadvertically. from the left end of the bottom of the egg-chamber throughthe top 11 of the casing. Slidedampers 55 56 are mounted on the top 11of the casing and may be adj usted manually over the air-vents 53 54 tocontrol the flow of air therefrom. f

Doors are hinged in and form the front of the casing, and the edges ofthe doors are rabbeted, as shown in Fig. 5, and packed or faced withfelt to form air-tight joints with the jambs. double glass panes spacedapart to provide an air-space to minimize radiation of heat or cold, thepanes 57 58 being parallel with each other and retained by beads orstrips 59, attached to the inner edges of the rails and stiles thereof.

In practical operation the eggs are supplied to the trays and the doorsclosed. The water is supplied to the tank 25 and the cap 28 placed toclose the pipe 27. The lamp 20 is lighted and the damper held down untilthe temperature in the egg-chamber reaches the desired degree throughradiation of heat therein from the hot-air tank heated by the dow of airthrough the flue 16, pipe 17, airtank, and air-vent pipe 1S. Then thethermostat is adjusted to do the desired work by raising or lowering theadjusting-screw 49 in its seat to the degree necessary to balance thelever 46 in such a manner that any further increase of heat in theegg-chamber will expand the thermostat, and such expansion actingthrough the rod 40 will raise the adjusting-screw and lever andA liftthe damper from the top of the flue. When the damper is lifted from thetop of the flue 16, the air heated by the lamp and rising therethroughwill escape from the top of the line instead of passing laterallythrough the pipe 17, tank 15, and vent 18.` Any variation of temperaturein the egg-chamber will expand or contract the thermostat and open orclose the flue-damper. Thus is the temperature maintained approximatelyat the desired degree, since the operations of the thermostat are verysensitive. Heat radiated from the flue 16 to the inner shell of thewater-tank increases the temperature of the air in the space betweensaid shelland lue and since the dampers 55 56 are open causes a draft ofThe doors also are formed with TOO IIO

air through the interior of the shell, th rough the moisture-pan andperforations 23, and through the egg-chamber. The heat radiated from theflue to thewater-tank heats the water therein and causes it to throw offa vapor at its open upper end, which vapor is carried by the draft ofair through the moisture-pan and into the egg-chamber, to the end thatthe eggs are provided with a constant, uniform, and proper quantity ordegree of moisture. The heating of the eggchamber by the hot-air tankalso facilitates the flow or draft of air through said chamber; but allof said air must be surcharged with moisture before it enters thechamber, the degree of moisture being determined by the size `of thewater-tank, quantity of water therein, or degree of heat radiated fromthe iiue to the water-tank, and is controlled by manual adjustment ofthe dampers 55 56 over the vents 53 54 or the determination of the Waterand heat supply. Sufficient atmospheric air for the proper operation ofthe lamp and vehicle for conveying the heat tof the interior of thehot-air tank is supplied by draft through the space between the lowerend of the flue 16 and the outer surface of the chimney of the lamp.

I claim as my inventionl. An incubator comprising a casing; the hot-airtank in the top of the casing, a flue vertically traversing the hot-airtank, a lamp in the lower end of the iue, a lever-damper located abovethe top of the line and arranged to close said i'lue', a thermostatcontrolling said lever-damper, a pipe leading from the iiue anddischarging within the hot-air tank, a Vent-pipe leading from thehot-air tank and discharging outside the easing, an annular water-tankhaving an inner shell of less height than the outer shell and the broadand .relatively shallow moisture-pan fixed to the upper edge of theouter shell of the watertank and open to the space between the shells ofsaid water-tank and provided with moisture-vents in its edges, whichmoisture-pan is sealed to the bottom of the hot-air tank, the innershellof the water-tank being spaced apart from the flue, whereby air mayenter the flue and traverse the hot-air tank and be discharged throughthe top of the casing and air may enter the space between the tlue andthe inner shell of the water-tank and escape over the upper edge of saidinner shell into the moisture-pan and thence through the egg-chamber ofthe casing to the atmosphere at the top of the casing and in so doing beheated by radiation from the flue and surcharged with moisture from thewater-tank.

2. In an incubator, a hot-air tank, a flue traversing one end of thehot-air tank and fixed thereto, a pipe in the hot-air tank communicatingat itsV initial end with the line, extending forwardly from the ilue,bent at right angles and extended lengthwise of the hot-air tank andthen bent at right angles and extended rearwardlyand terminating with anopen end in the central portion of one end of the hot-air tank, and avent-pipe leading from the hot-air tank adjacent the flue, incombination with a lamp in the flue, egg-trays in the chamber, and meansf or ventilating the egg-chamber.

3. In an incubator, a casing, a hot-air tank in the top of said casing,a flue vertically traversing .one end of the hot-air tank and extendingoutside the casing, a damper arranged to close the upper end of saidflue at times, a pipe located in the hot-air tank and communicatin gatits initial end with the fine, which pipe extends forwardly from theflue nearly to the front edge of the hot-air tank and is bent at rightangles and extends along the front portion of said hot-air tank adjacenta doorway of said casing, .and is again bent at right angles and extendsrearwardly in the end portion of the hot-air tank opposite the tlue andterminates with an open end in said tank, the vent-pipe leading from thehot-air tank at the rear of and adjacent the flue, a lamp in the lowerend of the flue, egg-trays in the casing below the hot-air tank andmeans for Ventilating the casing.

4.111 an incubatoiythe hot-air tank, the broad and relatively shallowmoisture-pan sealed to the bottom of the hot-air tank and provided withmoisture-vents, the water-tank of annular form having its outer shellxed to and depending from the moisture-pan and its inner shell of `lessheight than its outer shell and open at both ends, the line traversingthe central opening of the water-tank and communicating with the hot-airtank, which flue is spaced apart from the inner shell of the water-tank,air-vents in the end of the incubator opposite to the water-tank and alamp in the lower end of the flue,where by air may enter between theflue and the inner shell of the water-tank and escape over the upperedge of said inner shell into the moisture-pan and thence through theegg- IOC IIO

chamber of the incubator and in so doing be V heated by radiation fromthe Hue and surcharged with moisture from the water-tank.

5. In an incubator, the annular water-tank having an inner shell of lessheight than the outer shell, the broad and relatively shallowmoisture-pan fixed to the upper edge of the outer shell of thewater-tank and open to the space between the shells of said tanks, andprovided with moisture-Vents in its edges, the hot-air tank to thebottom of which the moisture-pan is sealed, which air-tank is formedwith an aperture in vertical alinement with the center of the annularWater` tank, a ilue mounted within the central portion of the annularwater-tank and extended through said aperture in the air-tank, whichflue is spaced apart from the inner shell of the Water-tank and extendedwholly therethrough, the easing and the vent-pipes for the casing,whereby air may enter between the innersheli of the Water-tank and theHue, Signed by me at Des Moines, Iowa, this 23d escape over the upperedge of said inner shell day of September, 1899.

into the moisture-pan and thence through the egg-chamber of the casingto the atmosphere 5 at the top of the casing and in so doing beVitnesses:

heated by radiation from the flue and sur- JAS. MCKINNEY,

charged with ,moisture from the Water-tank. l S. C. SWEET.

'JETHRO L.A MACY.

